Wednesday, April 29, 2009

The International Indian Film Academy (that’s IIFA to most people) is going from the land of Chandni Chowk to China this year.

THE event's brand ambassador, Amitabh Bachchan is likely to announce this soon. Bachchan is the moving force behind the awards in the industry, with an event management company being the financial and organisational muscle. IIFA began in 2000 when it was held in London. Bachchan has been its face from the start.

The awards have taken on the schism of Bollywood, and Shah Rukh Khan, who supposedly is in the opposite camp as Bachchan does not attend the awards. The last couple of years he has been on holiday while the awards have taken place. The awards are normally held in May-June and this year of course SRK is off to South Africa for IPL.

IIFA says that its voting process for the awards is monitored by PriceWaterHouse Coopers, whose credibility of late has taken a bashing because of the Satyam scam. The nominations in the popular category are made available to a global audience for a vote. Winners of the awards are revealed only when the envelope are opened on stage.

The awards have become quite big and an annual event as awaited as the Filmfare and Star Screen awards.